3D Mammogram ~ A break Through in Breast Cancer Diagnostic Technology

3D Mammogram

For the first time since the FDA approved the procedure, a patient in America has undergone a 3D mammogram, Dr. Max Gomez reports.


Laura Lang, 55, was being screened for breast cancer. She’s already survived it once. “I was diagnosed back in 2006 and had a regular mammogram which wasn’t actually strong enough to completely diagnose it and I had to be retested,” she said.


The 3D mammogram might have picked up her cancer the first time.


“What it means is now we have the ability to not only just look at the breast but actually look through and around structures we weren’t able to see before,” said Dr. Elizabeth Rafferty of Massachusetts General Hospital.


Doctors said that the new machine will help them find more cancers and decrease the number of women who need additional screening when the results are unclear.


The 3D technology was meant to be used in conjunction with 2D conventional mammography, which studies have shown helped doctors find more cancers than with 2D images alone.


Still, some breast health advocates have their concerns about the new screening tests.


“They haven’t been shown to find more breast cancer, find breast cancer earlier or most importantly save lives. They do however, double the rate of radiation that a woman is exposed to and add to health care costs,” said Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition.


Nearly 40 million mammograms are performed each year in the United States. The manufacturer believes the 3D version will lessen repeat mammograms because of poor or inconclusive images.


“Early diagnosis changes the outcome for most patients. It did for me,” Lang said.


Every year breast cancer claims the lives of 40,000 women. Doctors advise screenings every two years beginning at age 40 and then annually after age 50. I personally recommend every 2 years from 30-40 then annually. I suggest that you request a frequency that you are comfortable with given medical history and not leave it to the insurance companies to decide for you. Always be aware that early detection is the key to successful treatment and full recovery.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month..Early Dection Is The Answer..See Your Doctor..Get Your Mammogram

Early Detection Is The Answer

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/About-Breast-Cancer/Breast-Self-Exam.aspx

You may have noticed a lot of pink around campus lately. West Virginia University has changed its website from Gold and Blue to pink. The football team will soon be sporting pink ribbons on their helmets.

The pink ribbon is used to signify National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an important, month-long reminder to raise awareness of the second-most common cancer among women in the U.S. and around the world.


The National Cancer Institute estimates 207,090 women will be diagnosed with the disease in 2010, claiming the lives of 39,840. I do not have these figures world wide. In any event such numbers are troubling, and are a disturbing reminder of this terrible condition.


To help raise awareness, the WVU community is playing its part. Already, free examinations have been given at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. The Cancer Center will hold a fashion show Oct. 25 with local designers and stores at Lakeview Resort.


Athletic teams will also contribute to the cause. The volleyball team will host a "Dig Pink" game against Georgetown, with the crowd encouraged to wear pink.

The Christ the Redeemer statue is lit up in pink at night for Breast Cancer awareness in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the list of supporters goes on.

Breast cancer is a tumor that grows in one or both of the breasts, according to the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website. The cancer typically develops in ducts, lobules or milk-producing areas of the breast.

The American Cancer Society recommends women 40 and older should have a mammogram every year, continuing to do so "as long as they are in good health."


Women in their 20s and 30s should have a breast exam administered by a health expert every three years.


Women in their early 20s, and throughout their lifetimes, should perform self-examinations.


Trouble signs include: lumps or swelling, skin irritations or dimpling, nipple pain or nipple turning inward, unusual redness or scaliness of nipple or breast skin or a discharge other than breast milk.


Medical experts agree early detection can save thousands of lives a year. By combining regular screening and self-examination, the number of those falling victim to the disease should drop.


"The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer live a long life," Dr. Jame Abraham, chief of hematology and oncology at the WVU School of Medicine and medical director of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, told WVU Today. "Early detection and effective treatment offers great help and will enhance their chances for survival."


Awareness is the key to eliminating breast cancer once and for all. Simple techniques at home, coupled with money raised, can help rid the world of a senseless killer.